Core replacing apparatus and method for stranded cables



Oct. 11, 1949. B. M. SHEPARD CORE REPLACING APPARATUS AND METHOD FOR STRANDED CABLES 3 Shee ts-Sneet 1' Filed Jan. 5, 1948 '[liiiii ma! Oct. 11, 1949. B. M. SHEPARD 2,484,055

CORE REPLACING APPARATUS AND METHOD FOR STRANDED CABLES Filed Jan. 5, 1948 .s Sheets-Sheet 2 II II: I!

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CORE REPLACING APPARATUS AND METHOD FOR STRANDED CABLES Filed Jan. 5, 1948 3 Shee'ts-Sneet 5 v m a M =1 w, E w m N Patented Oct. 11, 1949 CORE REPLACING APPARATUS AND METHOD FOR STRANDED CABLES Berger M. Shepard, Washington, D. 0.

Application January 5, 1948, Serial No. 47.6

(Granted under the act of March 3, 1883, as amended April 30, 1928; 370 O. G. 757)" 10 Claims.

The present invention relates generally to devices for extracting and inserting the core of wire rope or cable. More specifically the invention relates to a method and apparatus for withdrawing the core of a conventional wire rope or cable and inserting in the place thereof a new core therefor or a core in the form of an insulated electrical conductor, or the like, by a continuous operation in which the rope or cable is fed from a paying out drum, run through a mechanism which interchanges the cores and wound on a receiving drum.

It heretofore has been found difiicult in practice to accomplish the foregoing operations withoutentangling or twisting and breaking the cores.

The device of the present invention provides a simple means for avoiding such difficulty by passing the cable along the axis of a rotatable structure supporting a pair of spools for respectively receiving the discarded core and paying out the insulated electrical conductor. Further difliculty is avoided in arranging the core paying out and receiving spools in such a manner as to prevent twisting of the cores as they are fed into and extracted from the cable.

An object of the present invention is to provide a new and improved cable core extracting and inserting apparatus in which entanglement of the cores is avoided.

Another object is to provide a method and apparatus for interchanging the core of a stranded cable with an electrical conductor as the cable is fed between paying and receiving drums.

Another object is to provide a method and mechanism for interchanging cores in a stranded cable by momentarily separating the strands and simultaneously therewith extracting and inserting the interchanged cores as the cable is fed between paying and receiving drums.

Another object is to provide a method and hand operated device for practicing the method wherein the strands of a cored cable are momentarily separated and simultaneously therewith the core is removed and replaced with an insulated electrical conductor in response to relative movement between the device and the cable.

Another object of the invention is to provide a cable core extracting and inserting mechanism in which twisting and breaking of the cores is Dre-- vented.

Still another object is to provide a mechanism in which the strands of a cable are separated momentarily and simultaneously therewith the core of the cable is removed and an insulated electrical conductor is inserted in place thereof as the cable is fed from one dlum to another.

A further object is to provide a cable core extracting and inserting mechanism which is power driven and therefore is particularly adapted for use with cables of great length.

A still further object is to provide a cable core extracting and inserting mechanism which is simple in operation, economical to manufacture, and durable in use.

Still further objects, features and advantages of the present invention will become apparent to those skilled in the art from the following specification taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, in which:

- Fig. 1 is a view in side elevation of apparatus according to the preferred embodiment of the present invention and suitable for practicing the preferred method thereof;

Fig. 2 is an enlarged detail sectional view of.

the core interchanging mechanism per se;

Fig. 3 is a view in section taken substantially along line 3-3 of Fig. 2; t

Fig. 4 is a View in section taken along line 44 of Fig- 2;

Fig. 5 is a view in section taken along line 5-5 of Fig. 2;,

Fig. 6 is a face view of the strand and core separator, a portion of the supporting disc being shown; and

Fig. 7 is a sectional view of a hand operated device embodying an alternate form of the invention particularly adapted to be used with short sections of cable. 7

Referring more particularly to the drawings in which like numerals indicate like parts throughout the several views, there is provided a base ill having mounted at each end thereof supports it and I2. The supports I! and I2 are provided, with elongated slots l3 receiving slide bearings i4. Cable drums l5 and 16 are rotatably mounted in bearings 14 of supports II and I2 respectively. Screws ll individual to bearings M are constructed and arranged in such a manner with respect to supports H and i2 as to raise or lower the drums I5 and it upon turning the screw cranks lain the desired direction. This arrangement is for the purpose of raising drum l5 as the cable is payed out and of lowering drum It as the cable is wound thereon, thereby to maintain the cable in substantially a straight line condition as it passes into and out of the mechanism indicated generally at [9.

The mechanism It is supported by standards 2 and 23 on a table 2|, the table, in turn, be-

cry of drum 42.

meshes with gear 35. A shaft 3-8=is mounted for i rotation in bore 33 and has secured thereto gear 39 meshing with gear 3'5. Bifurcated support 4| is secured to one end of shaft 38. Core paying out spool 42 is pivotally mounted on the arms of the support 4| and carries a supply of cable core such, for example, as an insulated electrical-conductor 43. A friction brake 44 =is:carried by one of the arms of support 4| and has an adjustable friction element which bears against the periphment is to prevent over-running of the drum as the-cable core is drawn therefrom.

Disc member 45 .is mounted .in spaced relation to one side of pulley 29 byspacerrods 46, bolts 41 being inserted through bores in pulley 29 and disc v member 45 and threaded into the ends of spacer rods 46. Mounted at the axis of disc member 45 is a .core and strand separator indicated generally at 48 and having a hub portion 49 and a flange portion The flange 5| is secured in a recessed opening 52 in disc 45 by screws '53. Hub portion 49 has a central bore 54 and angular bores 55 and 56 communicating therewith. Arranged in the flange 5| and adjacent the hub is a plurality of bores 51. Aligned between the bore 5-5 and the drum 42 is a flared guide tube 58 having a bracket secured to disc 45 by bolts 59.

Eixedlymounted on shaft by set screw BI is a large gear 62. A shaft 63 is positioned in bore 3| of pulley 29 and has a small gear 64 loosely mounted thereon which is in meshing engagement with gear .52. Therelative sizes of the gears are such that a two to one ratio is provided.

Secured to the gear 64 and adapted to rotate therewith is a bifurcated support 65. Core receiving spool 65 is supported in openings in supports 65 by a shaft 61. One of the flanges of spool 65 is brought into frictional engagement with a wheel .68 by .means of a spring 59 sleeved about shaft 51 and interposed between one of the arms of support 55 and the hub of the spool.

Secured to the other end of the shaft '53 is a brake wheel having a coacting brake 12 which may be generally similar to brake 44, the brake being supported by a web 13 integrally formed on pulley 29.

As will be apparent in Figs. 2 and 3 the gears .35, 31, and 39 are arranged in such a manner with .a one to one ratio therebetween thatas the pulley 2.9 is rotated theaxis of drum 42 will always maintain a horizontal position as the drum travels in a planetary course about the axis of the pulley. The purpose of this arrangement .is to prevent twisting of insulated conductor 43 as it is payed from spool 42, through guide tube 58, bores 55 and 54, and thence into the center of a cable 14.

'It will also be apparent that gears 62 and 64 are arranged in such a manner that core receiving spool 66 will be rotated on shaft 63 two revolutions to one of the pulley 29. .At the same time, spool 65 will be rotated on its shaft 51 as the pulley is rotated by reason of friction wheel 58 and brake 12 .in a direction to wind .in the discarded core 15 of cable 74. The ratio of the fric- The purpose of thisarrange- Qul 4 tion drive is such that the speed of rotation of spool 66 is greater than necessary to receive discarded core 15 for any effective winding diameter of the spool, suflicient slippage occurring between wheel 58 and brake 12 to maintain such winding speed as to prevent kinking or breaking of the core.

The drum turns two revolutions on shaft 53 to 7 one of the pulley, as aforementioned, in order to prevent twisting of the core 15 as it passes from cable 'i4,through bores 54 and 56, through a guide tube 15 bracketed to disc 45 by bolts 11, and thence onto spool 56. The guide tube 16 differs from tube 58 in that it has a reverse bend causing two revolutions of the core for one of the pulley as the core passes toward the spool.

Pulley .29 has formed at the periphery thereof a groove 78 which receives a V-belt F9. The V- belt passes through a slot 1!], Fig. 3. in table 2| to pulley 8| mounted on the shaft of change speed gear box 82 of electric motor 83. Thus, a drive is provided for the mechanism i9 which can be synchronized with the speed of the cable passing therethrough by proper adjustment of gear box 82. v

Mounted on standard '25 is a tubular member 54 having faired guides 85 and 85 through which the cable 14 passes after leaving the core and strand separator 48.

The cable is then wound on drum l6. "Power for rotating drum i5 is supplied byelectric motor 81 having a pulley 88 mounted on the shaft thereof. Pulley 88 receives the V belt 89 which is also passed around a "flange of drum it, a groove 9| being provided in the periphery of "the flange for the V-belt. The motor 8-! is mounted on a bracket 52 on table-2|.

In the operation of the device of the present invention, the cable T4 is passed from drum |5 through the guides of tubular shaft '25. The individual strands of the cable are separated and are passed through bores 57 in core and strand separator '48. Core '55 of the cable is fed through central bore 54 and angular bore 55, through guide tube 16 and around the hub ofspool 65.

Simultaneously therewith, insulated conductor core '43 is fed from drum 42, through'guide tube 58, angular bore'55, central bore 54, and thus into the center of cable E4. The cable is reformed'on the'opposite side of core and strand separator 48 after which the cable ispassed through the guides of tubular member 84 and thence around the hub of drum it.

During the foregoing operation, drums i5 and i5 are'raised or lowered icy-adjustment of cranks ill to positions which bring the cable into alignment with the guides of members 25 and 84. The purpose of the foregoing is to provide a straight line pull on cable E4 through the guides of members 25 and 8%.

In order to provide sufficient tension'on-cable 14, a brake bar 53 is brought against the periphery of drum 25 by spring 54 which is attached at one end to support H, the other end being attached to eye-bolt which passesthrough the bar 93 adjacent its upper end and has a tension adjustingnut 55 threaded thereon. The bar '93 is pivotally supported on the base H) as at 9?.

Motor 8? drives drum 55 thereby winding cable 14 thereon and drawing the cable through mechanism I9. ihe gear drives for spool supports 4| and 65 prevent the cores from twisting during the operation, thereby avoiding excessive straining or breakage of the cores.

Referring now to Fig. 7, a-hand operated-cable core extractor and inserting device generally designated N10 is disclosed in which the core and strand separator 48 is rnountedin a ball race 98 secured in a ring member 99 by a locking ring IOI. Handles Hi2 having screw shanks lot are threaded into the ring member. A core and strand separator is thus providedwhich is par- 'ticularly adapted for hand operation" on'short lengths of cable where the entanglement of the cores is not a significant problem.

' In the operation of device I09, as the device is moved along the length of the cable the cable strands are separated as a result of passing through the bores 5's of separator 48". The core to be discarded is fed through the bores '54 and 56 and out of the cable while the insulated conductor core passes through bores 55 and 54 and into the center of the cable, the cable being reformed on the other side of separator 48.

While the invention has been disclosed in particularity with respect to two examples thereof which give satisfactory results, it is, of course, understood that further changes and modifications may be made within the scope of the appended claims by those skilled in the art after i understanding the invention without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention.

The invention herein described and claimed may be manufactured and used by or for the Government of the United States for governmental purposes without the payment of any v Qvalties thereon or therefor.

' What is claimed as new and desired to be secured by Letters Patent of the United States is:

1. Apparatus for separating the strands of a support intermediate said drums, said structure having an axial bore and a plurality of spaced bores concentrically arranged around said axial bore for receiving the core and the strands of the cable whereby the strands are separated from the core, a receiving spool for the core mounted on the separating structure, means including a lateral bore in the separating structure for guiding the core outwardly of the cable as it moves through a portion of the axial bore to the receiving spool, a paying out spool for a substitute core mounted on the separating structure, means including a second lateral bore in the separating structure for guiding the substitute core from the paying out spool into the cable through another portion of the axial bore, means for supporting said spools on the separating structure in such a manner to prevent twisting of the cores as they move between their respective spools and the cable, means for rotating the separating strucsaid separating structure, said separating 'struc-' ture having an axial bore and a'plurality of bores disposed in spaced relation concentrically around the axial bore for respectively receiving the core and the strands of the cable thereby to separate the strands from each other and from the core, said structure having a first lateral bore communicating with said axial bore for cooperation therewith to guide the core from the cable through'the strands while the strands are separated, said structure having a second lateral bore communicating with the axial bore for cooperation therewith to guide a substitute core into the cable through the strands while the strands are separated, a cable paying out drum mounted on the support and spaced from one end of the separating structure, a receiving drum mounted on the support and spaced from the opposite, end of the separating structure, means for driving the receiving drum thereby to draw the cable through the separating structure, means for maintaining the cable in a straight line as it passes through the separating structure, and means supported'on the separating structure 'for preventing twisting of the cores as they are moved into and out of the separated strands of thecable.

' 3. An apparatus for momentarily separating the strands of a cable and simultaneously therewith extracting the original core and inserting a substitute core therefor comprising, in combination, a support, a strand and core separating structure mounted for rotation on said support andhaving a pulley disc and a second disc spaced therefrom for rotation therewith, means for rotating said separating structure, said second disc having anaxial bore therein and a plurality of bores concentrically disposed in spaced relation around the axial bore for respectively receiving the core and the strands of the cable thereby to separate the strands from each other and from the core, said second disc having a first out axis parallel-to said support as the pulley disc rotates thereby to prevent twisting of the substitute core as it moves into the cable, a spool for reeling in the extracted core, means for supporting the reeling in spool on the pulley disc for planetary travel about the cable in such a manner as to prevent twisting of the extracted core as it is wound on the reeling in spool, and means for driving the reeling in spool about the reeling in axis thereof in predetermined relation to the rotation of the pulley disc thereby to wind the extracted core on the reeling in spool and maintain the core'taut between the cable and spool.

4. Core replacing apparatus for a stranded cable comprising, in combination, a support, a strand and core separating structure mounted on said support for rotation about said cable and having 'aj'p'ulley dis c'and a second disc spaced therefrom, means including a pair 'of spaced drums for drawing the cable therebetween and through said separating structure, means for rotating the separating structure in synchronism sees mithithe spiral twist :of the strands .of the cableas the'zcable passes through the :separating structuratsaid second disc having an axial bore and a plurality of bores arranged concentrically therewith and spaced thereabout for respectively passing' the cable core and strands therethrough thereby to separate the strands from each other and from the'core, saidsecond disc having first and second lateral bores communicating with said axial bore for cooperation therewith to guide the original core and a substitute core therefor respectively from .and into the cable through the separated strands, means for reforming the strands about the substitutecore after the cable leaves theseparatingstructure, apair of spools .for respectively reeling .in and paying .out the :original and substitute-cores, means for support- .ing said spools on said pulley disc for rotation about respective .planetary axes .perpendicular to their .spool axes and perpendicular to the plane of thepulley disc,.means for rotating the paying out spoolabout its planetary axis at the speed of rotation of the pulley disc and in the opposite direction therefrom thereby to prevent twisting of the substitute core as it .moves into the cable, .means for doubling back the original core as it leaves the cable and guiding it onto the reeling .in spool, means forrotating the reeling in spool about its planetary axis the same direction and at twice the speed of the pulley disc thereby to prevent twisting of the core .as it is wound on the reeling in spool, andmeansincluding a frictional over drive connection between the reeling in spool .and the pulley disc for rotating the spool about its spool axis at sufficient speed to wind the extracted core in taut condition on the spool.

5. In .a core extracting and inserting mechanism for use with spirally wound wire cables, the combination of a supporting structure, a cable ."feed drum, a cable receiving drum, substantially constant speed driving means for said cable re- "ceiving drum, means for supporting said cable drums in such a manner that the cable is maintained at a substantially'horizontal position as it passes from the feed drum to the receiving drum, a rotatable structure positioned between said drums and having the cable passing therethrough, variable speed driving means for said rotatable structure whereby the rotation of the rotatable structure may be synchronized with the spiral winding of the cable strands passing therethrough, a cable'strand and 'core separator fixedl-y mounted on said rotatable structure for rota- 'tion therewith and concentrically with respect to "the axis of rotation thereof and having a plurality of bores for respectively passing the core and the strands of the cable in spaced relation there- -through as the cable passes through the rotatable structure, means for guiding the core of the cable outwardly thereof through the separated strands, means for guiding 'an insulated conductor into the cable through the separated strands, and means for reforming the strands about the conductor after the strands and conductor have passed-through said separator.

6. An extracting and inserting mechanism for cable cores comprising, in combination, a cable payingout drum, a cable receiving drum, means for varyin the vertical position of said drums, a fixed tubular shaft having guides adapted to receive the cable, a disc pulley rotatabl-y mounted on said shaft, a gear fixed to "said shaft, a pair of intermeshing planetary gears mounted on said disc pulley, said fixed and planetary gears being of the same size :and one 'Of 1-said planetary gears meshing with thefixed gear,.a core feeding spool mounted on the otherof said pair of planetary gears with the (axis of the spool perpendicular to the axis of the gear,.said gears causing the spool axis to maintain a fixed horizontal position as the spool revolves planetarily about the axis of said disc pulley, a second gear fixed lto said-shaft, a third planetary gear rotatively supported on the disc pulley and intermeshed with said second fixed gear, said third planetarygear and said second fixed ear having a predetertmined ratio whereby the third planetary ,gear is rotated in the same-direction as the disc pulley and at twice the speed thereof, a .core receiving :spool mounted on said third planetary gear with .the spool axis thereof parallel to the disc pulley, :a plurality of spacers, a disc member secured by said spacers to said disc pulley and rotatable therewith, a strand separator coaxially mounted on said disc .member and .havinga plurality of tbores for respectively passing the core and the strands-of the cable .therethrough, saidseparator having diametrically opposed angular lbores .com-

municating with the bore .individual to the core for guiding the original core and asubstitute core therefor from and into the cable respectively through the separated strands, a straight guide tube interposed between one of the angular bores and the .feed spool for Eguiding the substitute core therebetween, a curvedguide tube having a reverse bend and interposed between the other one of the angular bores and the receiving spool for guiding the core therebetweemand means'for driving said receiving drum.

7. The method of replacing the core of a stranded cable comprising, the steps of paying out the cable from a source of supply, guiding a'length of the payed out cable in a straight line, separating the strands of a portion of said length or cable, extracting the cable core through'the separated strands, doubling back the extracted core, reeling in the extracted core, rotating the extracted core about the cable in a direction and at a speed corresponding to the spiral winding of said strands and about a planetary axis at twice the speed and in the same direction as the rotation of the core about the cable, inserting a substitute "core from a source'of supply into the cable through the separated strands, rotating said source of supply-of the substitute core about the cable in the direction and at the speed of rotation of the extracted core about the cable and about a planetary axis at the same speed of rotation thereof about the cable and in the oppcsite direction, reforming the cable about the substitute core, and reeling in the reformed cable.

'3. Apparatus for momentarily separating the strands of -a cable and simultaneously therewith extracting the original core and inserting a substitute core thereforcomprising, in combination, a support, a strand and core separating structure mounted for rotation on said support and having a pulley-disc and asecond disc spaced therefrom for rotation therewith, means for rotating said separating structure, said second disc having an axial bore therein and a plurality of bores disposed in spaced relation around the axial'bore forrespectively'receiving the core and the strands of the cable thereby-to separate the strands from each otherand from the core, said second disc having means for guiding theoriginal core from the cable through the separated strands and means :for guiding the substitute core into the cable through the separated strands, aifirstspool .mounted -:;on said pulley disc .for paying out the substitute core into its respective guiding means, a second spool mounted diametrically opposite to said first spool on said pulley disc for reeling in the original core from its respective guiding means, driving means for said spool operatively connected to said separating structure driving means and effective to prevent twisting of the cores during the paying out and reeling in operations, and means for drawing the cable through said structure.

9. Apparatus for separating the strands of a cored wire cable and simultaneously therewith extracting the original core thereof and inserting a substitute core therein comprising, a separating structure having a first disc and a second disc, means operatively connected to said first disc for rotating the disc, said second disc being attached to said first disc and rotative therewith, means for separating the strands of said cable, said separating means being mounted on the second disc axially thereof and fixed thereto for rotation therewith, guide means associated with said separating means for guiding the original core out of the cable while the strands are separated and for guiding the substitute core into the cable simultaneously therewith, a pair of spools operatively mounted on said first disc for respectively paying out the substitute core and reeling in the original core, means operatively connected to said disc rotating means for rotating said spools about the cable, means for maintaining said cores in an untwisted condition during the paying out and reeling in operations, and means for drawing the cable through said separating structure.

10. Apparatus for replacing the core of a cable comprising, in combination, a base, a separator structure rotatably mounted on said base and constructed and arranged to pass the cable therethrough, said structure having a pair of interconnected discs, means for rotating said structure, a cable strand and core separator constructed and arranged to pass the cable therethrough and secured to one of said discs coaxially thereof for rotation therewith, said separator having an axial bore and a pair of radial bores communicating with said axial bore for respectively receiving and guiding the cable core out of the cable and a substitute core into the cable, said separator having a plurality of longitudinal bores spaced about the axial bore to receive respectively the individual strands of the cable thereby to space the strands for said movement of the cores into and out of the cable, means for drawing the cable through the separator, a pair of spools mounted for rotation on the other of said discs, means including one of said spools for reeling in the core of the cable as said separating structure rotates, and means including the other of said spools for paying out the substitute core as the separating structure rotates.

BERGER M. SHEPARD.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS 

